Stunning Stenson claims double triumph

Henrik Stenson claimed a historic double in fitting fashion on Sunday as he stormed to victory in the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.

Stenson became the first man to win the European Tour's Race to Dubai and FedEx Cup in the same season thanks to a commanding six-shot victory at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

The 37-year-old carded a flawless closing 64, signing off in style with a tap-in eagle on the 18th, to finish 25 under par, with Race to Dubai rival Ian Poulter a valiant second following a 66.

France's Victor Dubuisson was two shots further back in third, with Holland's Joost Luiten fourth and a trio of former world number ones - Luke Donald, Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood - sharing fifth.

Stenson went into the Tour Championship in September as one of five players who could win the FedEx Cup by winning the tournament and led from start to finish to claim the 10 million dollar bonus.

This week the Swede was one of three players in similar control of their own destiny - not to mention another one million dollar bonus - and took a one-shot lead into the final round, a lead he instantly extended with a tap-in birdie at the first.

Playing partner Dubuisson, who won the Turkish Airlines Open on Sunday, quickly closed the gap with a birdie on the par-five second, but the Frenchman's birdie on the third was matched by Stenson, who edged two clear when he picked up another shot on the fifth.

Both players also birdied the par-five seventh before a bogey from Dubuisson on the next gave Stenson the luxury of a three-shot lead.

Any lingering doubts about the result were erased when Stenson picked up further shots on the 12th and 14th, even though

Poulter typically refused to concede and moved into second place with birdies on the 10th, 13th and 17th.

Stenson was never going to be denied however and secured his deserved status as European number one, less than two years after languishing outside the top 200 in the world rankings following the second major slump of his career.

Poulter was among the first to congratulate him and also wave a white towel in surrender, indicating he had lost his bet that he would catch Stenson at the top of the money list. The Englishman will now have to act as Stenson's personal waiter during a night out.

"It has been an incredible summer for me, the fall (autumn) in America was great and now this," said Stenson, who was second in the Open at Muirfield and third in the US PGA Championship before his FedEx Cup triumph. "It has been a dream season.

"I played so well this week. I knew the guys would try to catch me, especially Ian who never gives up. I wanted to stay ahead of him and I managed to do that.

"I don't know how I am going to be able to top this next year but I am going to give my best in the majors and that (to win one) would be the icing on the cake."

Poulter added: "I have to take my hat off to him, unbelievable. I tried to run him down as hard as I could but even with a sore wrist he has pressed on and I just could not get close enough.

"Henrik has not made a mistake all week and I just had to make sure of second place and some valuable Ryder Cup points.

"I have thrown a lot at him and given him so much stick, but he is the best player on the planet right now."

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